Information and commentary about the struggle for democracy in the African kingdom of Swaziland

Thursday, October 4, 2012

KING EXPOSED BY NO-CONFIDENCE VOTE

Members of the Swaziland parliament have passed a vote of
no confidence in the government in such large numbers that King Mswati III is
obliged to sack his cabinet, if he is to stick to the letter of the kingdom’s constitution.

This might expose the fact that the king who is
sub-Saharan Africa’s last absolute monarch ignores the constitution when it
suits him.

The latest move involves a vote of no confidence in the cabinet
passed by the House of Parliament this week. Members of parliament voted 42 in
favour and six against the motion – more than the three fifths vote needed to
trigger S68 of the constitution that says the king shall dissolve cabinet.

The motion came after the Swazi Government told the
kingdom’s telephone parastatal SPTC to switch off some of its services in
favour of MTN, Swaziland’s only mobile phone operator, even though SPTC’s
services were cheaper.

It is unlikely that King Mswati will sack the cabinet,
because he personally appointed it. He also ignored the constitution in 2008
when he appointed Barnabas Dlamini as Prime Minister. The constitution states
that the PM must be from the Senate, but Dlamini was personally appointed by
the king from outside Parliament.

Already, the king’s supporters are rallying to him. Attorney
General Majahenkhaba Dlamini, said the vote was null and void because the
decision to close SPTC services had not been taken by the Cabinet.